(Preview)Yu-Gi-Oh 5d's: Golden Destiny
by Elia41
Summary: Preview to the sequel of "Crimson Destiny". Only the first chapter is to be posted so far. Beware of spoilers! New student at Neo Domino Duel Academy, Vian is a nerdy boy with no friends and bullying issues. Until he runs into a group of students he impresses with his dueling skills. At long last, Vian has some friends. But what about the golden wings on his right arm?


**Warning: this chapter is the first chapter of the sequel to Crimson Destiny and contains major spoilers for the rest of the story. If you fear those spoilers or just don't want to see them, this is your last chance to turn away. If you don't mind, tighten your seatbelts. This is going to rock!**

* * *

><p>Quantity and quality<p>

You awoke and unleashed the fire in my heart.  
>I will dance and defeat them through the light and the dark.<br>Your mistake was to underestimate my power.  
>I won't let go of the fight till tomorrow is mine!<p>

I will ignite,  
>Dancing through the fire around me!<br>I'll never stop,  
>You better hide,<br>Now I'm in the mood for a fight!

You won't know what hit you  
>When I spin around in my dust, then<br>Bang-bang, down-down!  
>Yeah it's my desire, going for the win!<br>Tomorrow is mine!

You'd better run, don't wait, here I come now,  
>The fuel in my fire won't run dry,<br>It's burning bright!  
>And you'd better hide, I came for a fight, yeah,<br>Until tomorrow is mine!  
><span>Tomorrow is mine<span>, Bayonetta 2

"Are you sure I'll be fine?"

Carly looked at her son. Vian was looking at the dueling academy with apprehension, his brown bag clutched against his chest. She couldn't blame him: the boy had gone to at least three different schools since he left Elementary School and left every times because of bullying. She couldn't really blame him. Vian was as tall as she was, so not that much at all, with dull grey eyes he took from her and golden hairs shaped like cat ears and soft features like hers. He was wearing denim jeans and black shoes, his uniform being made of a blue jacket lined with gold and a tie. Furthermore, he was wearing rectangular glasses and his eyes were huge and innocent. If all of this didn't scream "Nerdy", it was still pretty clear that the boy wasn't much of an athlete.

"You will be fine, Vian. I know it. Just keep a low profile and no one will pay attention to you. You know how to go unnoticed by most, after all. Just like a cat."

The boy grinned and made a purring sound. Indeed, he had a fondness for cats and even had one as a pet, a bronze Egyptian Mau called Raziel. Funnily enough, he had found the kitten in a crate by a rainy day. Only later did he learn he had just adopted one of the rarest breeds in the world, a "Temple Cat". He didn't care. The feline was his closest companion.

"Alright. I'll be going. Bye, Mom."

"Bye, Cat Boy. Have a good day."

The boy nodded and passed the gates. The place was huge and had many buildings, including a track for Turbo Duels. The boy wasn't into this. Being near-sighted prevented him to. Here again, he didn't care. He crossed the corridors silently until he reached the office of vice-principal Rudolf Heitmann. No one paid attention to him. When he entered the room, he gave his most innocent face to the man who was looking severely at him.

"Good day to you, vice-principal."

"Sit."

The boy nodded and obeyed. Heitmann looked at the computer and checked the files concerning the boy. Vian Carmine, born fifteen years ago, a studious boy known for his good grades and dueling skills. His favorite card was Brass Cub, a Tuner monster shaped like a winged cub with green eyes. Heitmann finished reading and glared at the boy, who was nearly shrinking on his chair. No matter what others said, he still seemed like a mediocre duelist to him.

"Alright. In order to complete your inscription in our Duel Academy, you'll have to fight one of our students so we can assess your strength with our own eyes. And I think I know just who. Meet in the dueling arena in an hour."

It was the beginning of the afternoon. After the next hour would come the afternoon break. The duel would happen then. Instead of exploring the place, Vian chose to find an empty classroom and sat there, a book in hand. It was a school book about Japanese. Finally, when the hour was over, he followed the trail to the arena and entered the place. In the loudspeakers, a voice was calling the students to reach the place to observe the duel. The boy stepped on the field and dropped his bag at his side before setting his duel disk. It was a fairly standard model he had customized to have the gems yellow instead of blue. Then his opponent appeared.

"Greetings, students. Today's duel is an Entrance Duel between newcomer Vian Carmine and Jay Hogan. Duelists, take your stand."

The crowd was looking at the two. Jay was a boy with spiky orange hairs and grey eyes, and had a short frame similar to Vian's. The boy grinned.

"Ready to duel?"

"When you are." Vian quietly answered.

"Then duel!"

**Jay Hogan (Mist Valley Turbo): 4000 Life Points  
>Vian Carmine (?): 4000 Life Points<strong>

"I'll take the first turn." Vian decided. "Draw!"

The blonde teen looked at his hand and his eyes widened. Sorcerous Spell Wall, Break of Day, Moment of Heroism, Lightsworn Saber and … Foolish Burial!? He looked at his draw. It was Gift of the Mystical Elf. Holding his hand close to his heart, he uttered a few words.

"You guys really want me to proceed like this? I told Mom I'd keep a low profile."

Sighing, he took two cards.

"I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

The crowd looked at one another. The boy wasn't setting himself a defense? He was either overconfident or suicidal. Heitmann held the urge to facepalm. This brat was a total amateur. Jay raised a brow at the boy's move.

"You're not summoning? You're careless, you know?"

"Sorry 'bout that." Vian sheepishly looked. "I got somewhat of a dead draw."

Jay's eyes widened.

"Oh. That's fine, then. It can happen to everyone. My turn! Draw!"

His draw was Divine Wind of Mist Valley, a Field Spell. Combined to his hand, which was made of Gust Fan, Mist Valley Falcon, Mist Valley Thunderbird, Genex Ally Birdman and Lock & Droll Bird, it was perfect to fill his field and ready his offensive. Vian was really unlucky to have ended with a dead hand on his first turn. Being a nice guy, Jay chose to go easy on him.

"I start by activating the Field Spell: Divine Wind of Mist Valley." Winds shining like northern lights between two cliffs covered the field. "Then, I Normal Summon: Mist Valley Thunderbird." A yellowish bird with square-triangular patterns appeared. "I then use the effect of my Genex Ally Birdman: by returning Mist Valley Thunderbird, I can Special Summon it and it gains 500 ATK since I returned a WIND monster to trigger its effect. But it's not over!" The green and yellow mechanical birdman appeared. "I use Divine Wind's effect: since one of my WIND monsters was returned from hand, I can Special Summon a WIND monster from my Deck and I choose Harpy Dancer! And Thunderbird's effect makes it return on the field."

Vian twitched when he understood Jay's strategy.

"_Swarming!_" His eyes fell on his hand. "I understand. This guy may be going with quantity, but I've got _quality_. Next turn, he's mine."

The winged girl appeared, giggling. Jay's eyes lit up.

"I activate Harpy Dancer's effect: by returning a WIND monster on the field, I can Normal Summon 1 WIND monster, and I choose to return Mist Valley Thunderbird. Come, Mist Valley Falcon!"

The winged warrior appeared.

"Then, Thunderbird's effect activates again and I Special Summon it on the field. Finally, I equip Mist Valley Falcon with Gust Fan, which increases his ATK by 400."

The red head now had four monsters on the field: Mist Valley Falcon and Thunderbird, Harpy Dancer and Genex Ally Birdman. Vian looked at them carefully. All of them were in Attack Position and scored respectively 2400, 1100, 1200 and 1900. And Birdman was a Tuner. If Jay wanted to Synchro Summon, the door was wide open. At the same time, if he chose to go with an all-out attack, he was also dead. One of Vian's Traps was Gift of the Mystical Elf. Jay could inflict 6200 Damage in one move by lashing at him right now and the blonde boy could only recover 1200 Life Points. Not enough to save him. To his surprise, Jay grinned innocently.

"Usually, I'd have used Thunderbird and Birdman to Synchro Summon but, since you're powerless right now and I'm not a bad guy, I'll give you another turn to get in your game. Turn end!"

Vian's eyes were wide. Now that was unexpected. It almost made him feel guilty for pulling his combo the following turn, but Jay had made a crucial mistake. Everything had a price, this was a lesson the boy had learned the hard way. Jay would pay the price of his kindness soon enough.

"My turn! Draw!"

His find was Split Second, which allowed him to attack twice a turn. A grin crossed his face.

"Let's hit the climax!"

(Play "Climatic Battle", from Bayonetta)

To the surprise of everyone, a rocky piano tune came from Vian's duel disk. The boy took a card.

"I play: Foolish Burial, which allows me to send a monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. Here we go!"

He took a card and put it in his Graveyard. Jay raised a brow. What did the boy want to do? Then he listened to the music. The energetic piano notes, the rhythm, the somewhat victorious melody of the tune, all of this sounded like the final part of a boss battle. When he saw the monster Vian had summoned, he understood. This _was_ a boss battle. He was the boss, and Vian was the plucky hero that was going to hand him his rear end.

"Now, the effect of the monster I sent to the Graveyard activates: when Wulf, Lightsworn Beast is sent from my Deck to my Graveyard, I can Special Summon it! Say hello, partner!"

The white canine man appeared and howled. He was white, armored on the arms, legs and shoulders, carried a set of claws and a halberd and was taller than any of Jay's monsters, who pretty much shrunk in fear before the beast. Vian's eyes gleamed.

"Next, I'm going to replace your Divine Wind by my own Sorcerous Spell Wall, which increases my monsters' ATK by 300 when it's my turn."

Wulf's ATK went from 2100 to 2400, now matching Mist Valley Falcon as a runic circle of light replaced the cliffs with the northern lights.

"Next, I equip Wulf with Lightsworn Saber to increase his ATK even more, and I activate the Spell: Break of Day, which grants 1000 ATK to all my LIGHT monsters until the end of this turn. And as a finish, I activate the Trap Moment of Heroism to boost Wulf's ATK and DEF by 500!"

Jay watched, dumbstruck. Wulf's attack stats had now reached 4600. This was more than anything he could come up with during a duel, focusing more on swarming and attacking with many monsters at once rather than launching one big attack with a single monster. He looked at Vian, who shrugged.

"Thanks for giving me the turn. Had you attacked en masse when I had no monster ready, you would have crushed me here and there. Turns out my hand wasn't as dead as I took it to be. Now …"

Wulf's towering frame stood above the Mist Valley crew. He was glowing with a golden aura and his halberd had been replaced by a lightsaber. He turned toward Vian, awaiting orders.

"Wulf, target Mist Valley Thunderbird."

The bird shrieked in fear as the beastman sliced it with his saber.

**Jay: 4000 LP - 500 LP**

"Then, I activate the Quick Play Spell: Split Second, which allows me to attack a second time! Wulf, go for Harpy Dancer!"

The poor girl watched in fear as the beastman vanished, then reappeared in front of her. Surprisingly enough, when he saw her begging look, the warrior sheathed his saber and caressed her head, kneeling to her level as if to reassure her. The harpy started to sob and held the Lightsworn's hand … then his claws pierced her stomach, causing her to gasp.

"_Nothing personal._"

**Jay: 500 - 0**

Vian wins.

(End music)

The crowd watched silently as the monsters vanished from the field. Vian had taken off his duel disk and crossed his arms in his back, looking guilty and innocently at his red-haired opponent. He knew it. At any moment, the boy was going to come at him and punch his stomach. It had happened before. Right before they stole his deck. A shiver ran through him. He wasn't going to enjoy the following minutes.

In his seat in the bleachers, Heitmann looked as dumbfounded as Jay, his jaw nearly hitting the ground.

"What the … Jay was meant to mop the floor with him! Crush him! Obliterate him! And instead, that bird brain manages to lose in the most humiliating fashion! Well, good for that bratty troublemaker but still, losing like _that_ …"

Jay came to his opponent who took a step back and looked at him with wary eyes.

"Hey, don't make that face. I'm not gonna kick you."

"You wouldn't be the first …" Vian half-voiced.

"What? Nah, I'm not that kind of guy. If anything, I should be angry at me for being so stupid and not planning any defense."

"Actually …" Vian tentatively said. "Had you attacked me now, you'd have won. Even with my Gift of the Mystical Elf, your attack would have been too much for me to take. Your swarming is really efficient."

"But I wasn't expecting you to run a Lightsworn deck. I remember this archetype favors One Turn Kills and lightning-fast victories, so I'm not really surprised you can soup up your monsters to such a level, especially after declaring you had a dead hand."

Vian's grin became sheepish.

"Your hand is only a dead draw if you can't make the proper reversal next turn. Actually, I could've let you had the first turn and then attacked with Wulf on my own, but I wanted to use Moment of Heroism to be on the safe side. I had Foolish Burial from the beginning."

Jay nodded, impressed. Vian had an obvious gift when it came to dueling.

"Seriously, you had me dead for rights when you ended your turn! A chance you chose to go easy."

"And it cost me the duel. Well, no hard feelings. I was slack-jawed when I saw you boost Wulf. I've fought people who power up their monsters before, but that much …"

"If it's worth killing, it's worth over-killing. That's how my deck works. You know, I almost felt guilty when I pulled my Lightsworn OTKO on you."

"Your what?"

"Lightsworn OTKO. That's how I call that combo. I have others, and they all have a name."

"Like what?"

Vian crossed his arms.

"Not telling. I'm not stupid enough to reveal my strategies to potential adversaries. Sorry."

Jay shrugged. Heitmann came to the two so he stepped back.

"Verdict?"

Heitmann sighed.

"Verdict: you're a good duelist. But don't you think defeating Jay makes you the strongest brat of this school! There are much more dangerous duelists in there. Now, go see Ms. Robinson. She'll give you your schedule."

Vian nodded and left. As for Jay, he went to his group of friends, who had been watching the fight.

"Sorry, guys. I wasn't expecting a comeback that brutal."

Stellio rubbed his friend's back.

"Don't worry. I don't think anyone expected it either given how they all looked stunned when Vian summoned Wulf. And this boosting combo …"

Johan looked at the field.

"That's more something my father would do. He's always extremely aggressive when he fights. If this is Vian's main way of fighting, I don't know what to expect of a clash between the two."

Night came to Jay and held his hand.

"Don't worry. There's no shame in losing like you did. Besides, I did hear him say you had him dead for rights at the end of your turn. So you did have a chance to win. You just chose to be nice."

Jay looked at the girl, Nightingale. The two were twin siblings, the red head being the oldest. Stellio turned to the other members of the group, a boy and two girls.

"Don't you guys have anything to say?"

Kevin looked at the arena, his gaze deep.

"He was scared when Jay came to him. His deck may be strong, but Vian himself isn't."

"He said it wouldn't be the first time when I told him I wasn't going to hurt him." Jay remembered. "Do you guys … think he was beaten before? I mean, physically speaking."

"Possible." Amanda nodded. "I'd even say he's been bullied."

The group winced as a whole. Lucy crossed his arms.

"Let's face it: this guy is a skilled duelist, but he looks like a total nerd. How long do you think it'll take before people start picking on him? Especially after he defeated Jay. If it turns out he's a wimp in an actual fight, he's screwed."

"Are you suggesting we take him in?" Stellio looked at his cousin.

"Yes. As long as he's with us, people won't dare bullying him and we'll have another strong duelist at our side."

Kevin nodded.

"I approve. But first, we'll have to test him."

"He already defeated me!" Jay retorted. "What else do you need?"

"Another match." Night answered. "And this time, _I_ will take him on. No one defeated one of us in a straight-on duel before. I wonder how he'll fare against my Blackwing Army."

Jay's eyes lit up. Blackwing was actually one of the strongest archetypes out there and Nightingale had been taught by their father, Crow Hogan. The Signer was a former pro duelist turned police officer and a very skilled man. Ever since the death of his wife, Artemis Mara, he had been raising the two teenagers alone and had done a good job so far.

The other children smiled. They were seven, born from the heroes that had once saved Neo Domino City many times before. Stellio was the son of Yusei Fudo and Queen Ylia of Glitterdale. The boy looked a lot like his father and had inherited his blue eyes and gentle temper. From his mother, he got an affinity for Nature Magic he had soon learned to master, resulting in butterfly wings in his back, long pointy ears and his hairs turning green. He was dying them black, of course. And those who called his wings gay were quickly silenced by the boy's Archlord Krystia or tangled in thorns. When he was really mad, it was either Light End Dragon or Stardust Divinity. Fortunately, it almost never happened.

At his side was Johan Atlas. Son of Jack Atlas and world-class model Naoko Taokata, the boy was considered the sexiest student in school and for a good reason. Shorter than his father by only two inches, he had beautiful purple eyes and medium-long blonde hairs kept in a ponytail. He wasn't especially athletic, but being tall, still handsome despite a little lack of muscles and being the son of the Duel King tended to net you a decent harem. Johan was fully aware of it and liked to tease the love-struck girls, though never with ill intent. And though he did possess his father's arrogance, he was also quieter.

Jay and Night were next. The two were children of Crow Hogan and a novelist called Artemis Mara. Like Jack had met Naoko, Crow had met Artemis during his journeys as a pro duelist. The two had soon married and conceived the two children they had raised with all the love a parent could muster. Funny point, it was Artemis who had insisted for the bird theme naming. She had come up with Jay. Crow had come up with Nightingale. While Jay looked like a teenage version of his father in appearance and attitude, Night had her mother's braided dark hairs and emerald eyes, as well as a silent and naturally polite and discrete attitude. Simply put, the girl never spoke. Or even showed feelings at all. Her biggest outburst had been during her mother's funerals two years prior. She had snuck against her father and cried for the end of the day. For, indeed, Artemis had died during a train crash. Though it looked accidental, Crow couldn't help but think it was a bombing. This was why he was now a policeman instead of a pro duelist.

After the twins came Kevin Kessler. Born of Kalin Kessler and an Arapaho woman called Setting Star, he was just as quiet as Nightingale. Unlike her, he had learned a bit of shaman magic from his mother, which made him the only magician of the group with Stellio. His Native name translated as Lunar Wind. Silver-haired and gifted with eyes like the amber dust of a mesa, he was constantly wearing a blue headband and was second in attractiveness to only Johan, being tall, silent, mystical and silver-haired. Yes, the hair color was important. Chicks dig the silver hairs.

Next to the Amerindian teen was Lucy Tredwell, daughter of Misty Tredwell and King Alan of Glitterdale. Yes, she was Stellio's cousin. She was also the heir of the Summervalian throne due to Summervale being ruled by cousins or siblings. And she was fully aware of her rank. Having inherited her mother's physical appearance with only her father's cyan eyes, she knew she was pretty, she knew she was influent and, unlike Stellio, she made full use of it. From her father, she had taken a fondness for technology which was the reason for her main hobbies: tinkering and programming. Yes, the girl who looked like a supermodel was also a computer genius.

Last was Stellio's half-sister, Amanda Fudo. The young psychic was born after an intense night between Yusei Fudo and Akiza Izinski. She had her mother's magenta hairs and natural grace, as well as her psychic powers. From her father, she had retained her deep sapphire eyes and gentleness. She and Kevin were the two hearts of the group and, despite only being half-sibling, Stellio was deeply protective toward her. The same way, Lucy saw her as a sister despite having no blood ties with her. There was another reason for this behavior, though. Even nowadays, psychics were deeply discriminated against and Amanda was a frequent victim of it, so the group also helped her get over the insults. Kevin was especially good at it due to being a half-breed Native and suffering of racial discrimination.

When the classes ended, Vian headed to the exit but froze when he saw the group of teenagers blocking his path. The blonde immediately took a step back and moved to get around them.

"I knew it would end like this. Seven against one is just overdoing it."

Jay sighed.

"Hey, I told you I'm not like this! I'm not the kind of guy to beat others just because I lost a duel."

"Can't say the same about your friends."

Kevin looked at Amanda.

"Typical behavior of someone who suffered from bullying."

Amanda nodded. She used to be like this a lot as a child. That's why she was the one who came to Vian.

"Don't worry, we're not here to hurt you. Actually, we're here because we want to become your friend."

Vian raised a brow, not buying it.

"I trounce one of you and you offer me a spot? Where's the catch?"

"There is none." Kevin smiled. "You've been bullied, we can tell. Amanda and I suffered from bullying too for being half-Native and a psychic duelist. We know how it feels."

The boy's stance became awkward. On one hand, he was still wary of the group, but he could tell Kevin was indeed half-Native and Amanda looked genuinely sweet. He took a card and held it against him.

"Can I really trust you guys?"

"Yes, we really want to be your friend. All you have to do is beat one of us and you're in."

Beat one of them? He had already taken out Jay, though by chance. He could do it again … and the prospect to have new friends was interesting. He examined every member of the group. The black-haired girl with cyan eyes looked by far the most dangerous while the boy with black hairs seemed the most honest and gentle. And the guy with blonde hairs and purple eyes looked familiar. Purple eyes were not a common color.

"Alright. Mom's always working late, so even if I duel you, I'll still reach home before she does. I'm right behind you guys."

Stellio nodded and took the group to one of the arenas.

"So, who will I face?"

Nightingale came to him. Jay grinned.

"My twin sis."

Vian paled, especially given the stern glare the girl was giving him.

"Why do I get the feeling it _won't_ be a pleasure cruise?"

"Because it won't. I'm using my Blackwing deck."

Night expected Vian to back away or look scared. Instead, the blonde looked surprised for a moment before taking his own deck and retrieving a card.

"And here I thought your strategy would be different … Your family has a tradition in Swarm Decks?"

"Yes."

"Fine. I'll take you on."

The two duelists face one another. Night looked at Vian

"You take the first turn. Duel, start!"

**Nightingale (Blackwing Turbo): 4000 LP  
>Vian (Lightsworn Beatdown?): 4000 LP<strong>

Vian's eyes gleamed.

"Alright, let's get going. Draw!"

His hand was made of Brass Cub, Sanctuary Cat, Shining Angel, Dawn Knight and Double Summon. His draw was Moment of Heroism. The boy nodded and uttered some words.

(Play Lunar, from David Guetta)

Techno music instantly came out of the duel disk. Night raised a brow.

"Again with the music?"

"Yeah, I love fighting in rhythm. I use the Spell: Double Summon to summon Shining Angel and Sanctuary Cat in Attack Position. Then, I set one card face-down. Turn end."

The Roman-looking angel appeared alongside a white cat with glimmering fur. Vian started to tap in rhythm with the music. Night sighed before drawing a card.

"My turn!"

Her hand was made of Kalut the Moon Shadow, Bora the Spear, Gladius the Midnight Sun, Koichi the Daybreak and Urgent Tuning, and she had just drawn Gale the Whirlwind.

"Alright, here we go! I summon Blackwing - Koichi the Daybreak in Defense Position. Then, since the only monster I control is a Blackwing, I can Special Summon Gladius the Midnight Sun. And since I control a Blackwing other than Bora the Spear and Gale the Whirlwind, I can Special Summon them both!"

Soon, Nightingale's field was covered by two black-feathered birds, a black bird with an armor and a saber and an Amerindian-looking birdman with a black jousting spear. Vian looked at the four monsters. Koichi and Gladius were in Defense Position and scored both 1500 DEF. Gale and Bora, on the other hand, were in Attack Position, with Bora hitting at 1700 and Gale at 1300. The boy knew what was coming next. In fact, he kinda counted on it.

"I now attack your Shining Angel with Bora the Spear. Bora, Dark Spiral Strike!"

The Amerindian spearman rushed at the angel with a mad grin. Shining Angel starred the monster, sighed, then opened wings and arms wide with a defiant smile. Bora's spear tore through his chest. Vian winced.

**Vian: 4000 - 3700**

"Shining Angel's effect activates: when he is destroyed by battle, I can summon a Level 4 or lower LIGHT monster with 1500 or less ATK from my Deck, in face-up Attack Position! And I choose Ancient Dragon!"

Shining Angel's ghost appeared above the field and raised a hand. A card came from Vian's deck, which he set where the angel had been. A golden-scaled dragon appeared and looked at the Blackwing monsters. Night was surprised.

"A nice move. Gale's ATK is too low to destroy it, so I'll go for your Sanctuary Cat instead. Come on, Gale! Hurricane Gust!"

The black bird flapped his wings and created a whirl of wind that blasted the white cat. Vian grinned.

**Vian: 3700 - 3000**

"Sanctuary Cat's effect activates: when it is destroyed by battle, I can Special Summon a LIGHT Tuner monster from my Deck, in face-up Defense Position! And I choose Solar Warrior!"

Sanctuary Cat's ghost appeared and mewled while Vian set his new monster. It was a blonde warrior with a long ponytail and a katana who knelt with his blade before him. Night frowned and set a card.

"Turn end. Well played, I have to admit. Knowing I could attack this turn, you set two monsters whose effect could summon monsters upon destruction to protect your field. Not a bad strategy, but it still cost you 1000 Life Points."

"It was worth it. Because, in case you haven't heard …"

Stellio's eyes widened.

"Night, Solar Warrior is a Tuner! Vian can Synchro Summon this turn!"

The girl had a twitch, but that was all the emotion she showed at the reveal. Vian took a card.

"My turn! Here I go!"

His draw was Pot of Greed. The boy nodded.

"First, I'll start by summoning Brass Cub. And since he was successfully Normal Summoned, I can revive one Level 4 or lower LIGHT monster from my Graveyard! Come back, Shining Angel!"

A winged cub with shiny fur and glowing green eyes appeared and let out a ridiculous roar. Then Shining Angel emerged from the Graveyard and appeared at his side. The two duelists' fields were now evenly matched. Vian's eyes became feral.

"I learned in school that you Blackwing users are fast at Synchro Summoning. Mind beating you at your own game? I'm tuning my Level 2 Brass Cub with my Level 4 Shining Angel! _Golden rain blesses the land, heralding the rise of a new king! Time to roar, mighty ruler!_ Synchro Summon: Golden Lion!"

Brass Cub turned into two green rings that surrounded Shining Angel, whose body turned into four stars. A pillar of light surrounded them, from which emerged a giant, golden-furred lion with feathers on its face. If Brass Cub's roar had been like kitten mewl, Golden Lion's roar was an earthquake. And Vian wasn't over yet.

"Next, I'm tuning my Level 4 Solar Warrior with my Level 4 Ancient Dragon! _The sun erupts in blaze as its avatar descent upon earth! Radiating with a golden armor, may your roar shake the sky to its core!_ Synchro Summon: Soar, Golden Dragon of the Sun!"

Solar Warrior turned into four green rings that surrounded Ancient Dragon's body, now turned into four stars. A burst of light engulfed them as a silhouette slowly formed within. Then it faded and the entire gang gasped. Golden Dragon was twice the size of a full-grown adult and similar in appearance to Ancient Dragon, but while Ancient Dragon's wings were on his arms, the wings and arms of Golden Dragon were separate limbs and his scales were brighter and looked like an armor. Finally, Ancient Dragon had a kind of flail at the end of his tail while Golden Dragon had none. The creature, instead of making a grand entrance, simply crossed his arms and chuckled darkly. Jay gulped when he saw the two Synchros' ATK stats: nothing short of 2000 for Golden Lion and 3000 for Golden Dragon. Then Vian declared something that made his blood run cold.

"Solar Warrior's effect activates: when he's used as material for the summoning of a LIGHT Synchro monster, the summoned monster gains 500 ATK and 250 DEF."

Night blessed herself for setting her Trap card at the previous turn.

"You said Blackwing had a fondness for quick Synchro Summoning. You're right, we're fast at calling Synchro monsters to our side. Here is my first! I activate the Trap: Urgent Tuning, which allows me to summon a Synchro monster! And I'm tuning my Level 4 Koichi the Daybreak with my Level 3 Gladius the Midnight Sun! _Darkened gales, become the wings that will soar to the heavens!_ Synchro Summon: Blackwing Armor Master!"

From the light appeared a fully-armored birdman clad in black, with the armor spotting red outlines. Vian nodded.

"Nice monster. Unfortunately, like all of your monsters, he is of DARK Attribute. It means I can make full use of Golden Dragon's effect: if there is a LIGHT monster under my control, Golden Dragon of the Sun can attack as many times as there are _DARK_ monsters on my opponent's side of the field! Golden Dragon, Golden Overkill!"

The entire group gasped in shock.

"No way!" Jay paled. "Against such a monster, an archetype like the Blackwings is the worst choice possible!"

"Now I know why he looked so quiet having to face Night." Lucy darkly mumbled.

Kevin shook his head.

"You're forgetting Armor Master's effect. Not only is he not destroyed by battle, but Nightingale will also take no battle damage at all since Armor Master is involved in the battle. Sure, Bora and Gale are goners, but her Life Points will be intact. Vian isn't the only one who can make attacks backfire."

Indeed, the dragon took his breath and unleashed three spheres of light on the Blackwing monsters. Bora and Gale were dispatched by the assault. Armor Master remained, arms crossed. Then Night explained his effect and Vian winced.

"Well played. Really, well played. I'm then using the Spell: Pot of Greed to draw two cards …" His find was Break of Day and Monster Reborn. "And end my turn. Here you go."

"Then, my turn it is! Draw!"

She got Blizzard the Far North. Perfect.

"I summon Blackwing – Blizzard the Far North. And because I Normal Summoned it, I can recall a Level 4 or lower Blackwing monster from my Graveyard in face-up Defense Position. Return, Bora the Spear!"

The white bird and black spearman reappeared.

"I am then tuning my Level 2 Blizzard the Far North with my Level 4 Bora the Spear! _Pitch-dark power, lodge in its great wings and stir up the divine winds_! Synchro Summon! Gust fiercely, Blackwing Armed Wing!"

An armored birdman with a harpoon rifle appeared. Night's eyes narrowed.

"Next, I send Kalut the Moon Shadow from my hand to the Graveyard and engage battle, which activates his effect: I can target a Blackwing monster I control and grant him a boost of 1400 ATK until the End Phase. And the monster I choose is Armor Master! Go, Armor Master! Get rid of this shiny dragon! Armored Punch!"

Armor Master's ATK had risen to 3900. It was 400 more than the empowered Golden Dragon. Armor Master balled his fists together and delivered a violent uppercut to the creature, who tumbled and disintegrated.

**Vian: 3000 - 2600**

"Next, I'll have Armed Wing destroy your Golden Lion! Armed Wing, Armed Shot!"

The birdman fired his harpoon to Golden Lion who took it straight in the head. However, as he vanished, Brass Cub and Shining Angel returned to the field and Vian's Life Points increased. The boy explained.

"Golden Lion's effect is as follows: when it is destroyed by battle, I return his Synchro materials on my side of the field and gain 500 Life Points. That's more than Armor Master gave me."

**Vian: 2600 - 3100**

Stellio nodded in appreciation.

"He is strong! Night isn't holding her punches and yet he manages to recover and counter most of them."

"He'll make a fine addition to our crew." Lucy agreed.

Johan whistled.

"This duel is a close fight! Night and Vian are matching one another blow for blow."

Night frowned, her face stern.

"Turn end."

Her hand was empty. It was a problem with playing a swarm archetype like the Mist Valley and Blackwing: you were empty-handed fast, and such a situation was never a good one. But the girl had two powerful Synchros on her field, one of which was indestructible except by Spell, Trap or card effect. And Vian didn't specialize in swarming.

"My turn! Draw!"

Vian looked at his find. It was White Magician Pikeru. The boy nodded. Everything was ready for his comeback.

"I start by summoning White Magician Pikeru, which I'm now tuning with my Level 2 Brass Cub and Level 4 Shining Angel. _The stars fade away to reveal a new ruler! Descend on golden sunlight!_ Synchro Summon! Arise, Solar Prince!"

A tall blonde elf with a golden armor and a big golden sword appeared and winked at the boy. Vian took a card.

"I then use Monster Reborn to Special Summon one monster from any Graveyard to the field. Take to the sky, Golden Dragon of the Sun!"

The dragon emerged again, except he did so in Vian's back and crossed his arms over him, wings half-folded. As if he was protecting him.

"Solar Warrior's effect still applies unless I re-summon Golden Dragon with other Synchro materials, so his ATK is still 3500. It won't stay so for long, however, as I activate the Spell: Break of Day, which grants all of my LIGHT monsters 1000 ATK points. And I'll boost their ATK again by activating the Trap: Moment of Heroism, which gives all my monsters 500 ATK and DEF!"

"It's useless." Night quietly retorted. "As long as I have Armor Master, you cannot use Golden Dragon's effect to his full extend. And unless you draw a card like Torrential Tribute or Mirror Force, you can't destroy him."

Vian smugly smiled.

"Maybe, but it can be banished. Now, look at Solar Prince's ATK and guess what he can do …"

Solar Prince's ATK, originally 2500, had soared to 4000. Jay gulped.

"Uh-oh, _not good_."

"Yep. Once per turn, instead of destroying a monster in Attack Position, Solar Prince can banish it instead. Go, Solar Prince! Banishing Stroke!"

The elf prince ran at Armor Master and cut him in two. His blade was shining and, as he sliced his opponent, the creature's body was warped into light and faded away.

"Next, I'll have Golden Dragon target your Blackwing Armed Wing. Go, Golden Dragon! Solar Flare!"

Instead of firing an energy ball, Golden Dragon charged solar energy in his mouth in a way that reminisced of wave-motion guns in space operas. The blast of light engulfed the birdman gunner.

**Night: 4000 - 300**

The group winced. Amanda turned away.

"Night is dead."

The others nodded. Vian had two high-level summons on his field and a card in hand while Night's field and hand were empty. The girl shook her head.

"I am not giving up yet. My turn!"

Her find was Blackwing Backlash. A trap, and she had just the right materials in her graveyard.

"I set a card face-down. Turn end!"

Vian closed his eyes.

"It was an interesting fight. You're good as a Blackwing user. But here is my turn! Draw!"

Swords of Revealing Light. Not really useful right now.

"Alright. Solar Prince, let's end this! Direct attack!"

The elf warrior rushed at Night who barely blinked.

"Trap activate: Blackwing – Backlash. When I have five or more monsters in my Graveyard and my opponent makes a direct attack, I can destroy every monster on the field."

She had eight monsters in her graveyard: Armor Master, Armed Wings, Kalut, Bora, Blizzard, Koichi, Gladius and Gale. The explosion wiped away Golden Dragon and Solar Prince. Vian winced and looked at his hand. A chance he didn't summon his monster.

"My turn!" The girl declared. "And I draw!"

It was Shura the Blue Flame. Nice monster for a comeback.

"I summon Shura the Blue Flame in Attack Position. And I attack you directly!"

Vian held on when the humanoid bird clawed him.

**Vian: 3100 - 1800**

"Nice move. But your turn is over and mine is starting. Draw!"

Lightsworn Saber. Combined with the effect of his monster, he had a combo at hand.

"Okay, here I go. I summon Dawn Knight in Defense Position. Turn end."

"My turn! Draw!"

Black Thunder. Since she wouldn't finish this turn, better have some defense.

"Shura, destroy his knight! Azure Slash!"

Dawn Knight stood firm as the monster tore through him. Night watched them.

"Shura's effect activates: when it sends a monster to the Graveyard through battle, I can Special Smmon a Blackwing monster with 1500 ATK or less and its effect negated. Come, Hillen the Tengu-Wind!"

The Shinto birdman appeared on the field and knelt in Defense Position. Vian whistled at the sight.

"2300? Nice!"

"Thank you. Hillen has the highest DEF of all Blackwings. Knowing how aggressive you are, I prefer to play safe."

"I understand. And you know what? Me too." Vian smiled. "Dawn Knight's effect activates: when he's sent from the field to the Graveyard, I can send a LIGHT monster from my Deck to my Graveyard!" A card left his deck. "And it triggers this monster's effect: when Wulf, Lightsworn Beast is sent from my Deck to my Graveyard, I can Special Summon him!"

The canine warrior appeared. Jay winced.

"Here we go again."

Night looked at the monster, remembering how the blonde duelist had used him to crush her brother. Yep, she would need her trap.

"I place one card face-down. Turn end."

"My turn!"

His find was …

"Alright. First, I equip Wulf with Lightsworn Saber. Then, just to be safe, I'm gonna use Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your face-down."

The group winced as Black Thunder disappeared.

"Wulf's ATK is high enough that he can finish Night by attacking Shura." Amanda analized. "Even thought it was clever, she summoned Hillen for nothing."

Night clenched her fist. Vian grinned.

"Sorry, _not twice_. Now, I think I can have Wulf attack your Shura without bad surprises, right? Wulf, Bestial Assault."

Wulf's ATK was 2800. Shura had 1800 ATK. Night's Life Points were 500 only. It was 501 Life Points too short from surviving the assault. Shura rushed at the beast and blocked the lightsaber with both hands. Wulf's claws took him in the guts.

**Night: 500 - 0**

Vian wins.

(End music)

Wulf vanished after a wink at the boy, who fell on his knees.

"Heated fight! You're all that good in the gang or are you at the top?"

"I am not. Stellio is our leader. And your dueling is impressive. Looks like your deck doesn't specialize in Lightsworn, after all."

"You're right. Lightsworns were just the first archetype I learned to use. And it wasn't easy. At the beginning, I was losing as much by deck-out as by Life Points at 0."

"That's the main problem with Lightsworn."

"Yep. That's why I only use Raiden for self-milling. That apart, just to make things clear, I run a LIGHT deck. All my monsters are of LIGHT attribute."

"Can you use other decks?"

"I only have this one, but I'm not bad with Spellcasters and Naturia."

Night nodded. Naturia were specialists of the lockdown while Spellcasters were very versatile. Kevin looked at Stellio.

"So, what do you think?"

The prince was thoughtful, a pleased smile on his face.

"Savvy, fast-learner, he hardly gives up and is fast at getting back on his feet when his plans fall apart. And he still beat both Jay and Night. He'll do nicely with us."

The group gathered around the blonde who had a shy smile.

"That was an awesome fight. Welcome in the crew."

Stellio held his hand. Vian slowly took it and shook it, his smile widening every passing moment. This was his first day and he already had friends! Awesome. One by one, the teens presented themselves. When Jay grabbed him in a headlock, he flinched and held himself from mowing the red head. Johan noticed it.

"Was Jay too brutal?"

"Nah. I just don't like being touched. Years of being bullied will do that to you."

"Oh. We'll be careful, then."

"Thanks."

Since it was getting late, the group scattered. Kevin, Amanda, Stellio and Lucy were living in the Manor of Signers while Johan and the twins were living with their fathers and Vian with his mother. When Johan returned home with a smile, Jack wondered what he'd done again. His son, much to his sorrow, had inherited his habit of causing trouble. The teen was handsome and popular, so of course he had his enemies. Then he heard about the duels.

"I swear, Jay never saw it coming! Vian said he had a dead hand, but given the reversal he pulled the next, I wonder if it can count as a lie."

Jack thought a little.

"He did say he had Foolish Burial from the beginning. Yes, you can say it was a lie. But it could've been a truth with a less skilled duelist. First hand and no monster is never a good way to start a duel."

"He said something similar. Also, I have to show you his duel with Night! They answered punch for punch during the entire thing! Here, I recorded it. It's really worth the watch."

And Jack had to agree. Night's use of the Blackwings immediately reminded him of Crow, especially when he saw she was using the same Synchro Chants. And, just like her father, she never gave up.

"Her comeback with Blackwing – Backlash and Shura was impressive. At 500 Life Points with two Synchro Monsters before her, anyone else would have given up but she destroyed them and inflicted more damage to Vian. A shame he had Dawn Knight remaining."

"I think he didn't summon Dawn Knight this turn precisely to have a monster in case Night's Trap card turned deadly. And Dawn Knight allowed him to easily summon Wulf. Speaking of which, his strategy and yours are fairly similar."

"I don't empower my monsters that much, but the basic steamroll tactic is indeed there. And he doesn't act like a mindless brute whose only strategy is attacking again and again. At the beginning, he set monsters whose destruction benefited him, like Golden Lion and Shining Angel. And as soon as he understood the threat that was Armor Master, he summoned a monster to circumvent its effect. And he didn't let Night activate her last Trap card, remembering what it cost him the first time. This boy … He hits like a mach trunk yet is as clever as his look suggests."

And yet, there was something with the boy that stirred his mind in a weird way. The golden dragon he had summoned was strong. Strong enough to qualify as a Signer dragon. Instinctively, he rubbed his right arm.

In the Hogan household, Crow silently finished watching the video, Jay and Night at his side. When it was over, he wordlessly turned to Night and took her in a bear hold.

"Congratulation, Night. I am very, _very_ proud of you."

Surprised at first, the girl allowed herself to smile and return the hug. Ever since her mother died, she had only her brother and father at her side. The two meant the world to her. And now, she just made Crow the proudest he'd ever felt. Forget the loss, Crow's reaction was the greatest victory ever. Yes, she was sad to have lost to Vian. But her father was happy and so was she. Crow opened his jacket and took a card from an inside pocket.

"Here, I think you deserve it."

Night's eyes widened at the sight.

"Dad … This is your ace monster, Black-Winged Dragon! The two of you are never apart!"

"Nightingale, your fight with Vian was one of the most impressive uses of the Blackwings I've ever seen. Black-Winged Dragon is the leader of the Blackwings. You proved you have the skills to use his might."

Night's hands were trembling when she took the card. Never in her dreams had she seen herself using the jet-black dragon. It was her father's and his alone. And yet, he wanted her to use it? Holding the card on her heart, she nodded.

"Thank you, father. I will do my best to do this card honor."

Crow smiled.

"Night, the theme of Black-Winged Dragon is self-sacrifice. He takes the pain of his friends and turn it into strength. Black-Winged Dragon is strong, but his endurance in the face of adversity is what makes him unique. Know this, understand it and you'll know how to use my old partner."

"I'll do my best. I promise."

In his card, Black-Winged Dragon swore to assist the daughter of his partner the best he could.

Vian was bouncing on his feet when he entered the apartment he and his mother were living in. Carly noticed it.

"I get it you had a good day."

"Totally. I beat a guy using my Lightsworn OTKO during my entrance duel. It impressed him so much that his friends told me I could join their group if I beat one of their members. Best. Duel. Ever! She was using Blackwings and, believe it or not, she took down Golden Dragon _twice_. I don't think anyone managed such a feat before."

Carly raised a brow.

"She defeated Golden Dragon? Who is she?"

"Her name is Nightingale. The guy I beat beforehand was her twin brother, Jay. They didn't give me their last names, but there's Stellio, Johan, Kevin, Lucy and Amanda. Now I think of it, I think Jay's last name was Hogan. They told it when they called the duel. And … his sister was using Blackwings. You think they're the children of Crow Hogan, the former pro duelist?"

"There's a chance. Now, how about you show me that duel?"

Vian grinned hugely and folded his right sleeve. On his arm was a pair of golden wings that shone when he touched the kitchen's mirror. The picture changed to reveal two teenagers dueling in an arena. Transpiration of Memories. Any Signer could use his Mark on a reflective surface to show a part of his memories. This was a skill Vian had quickly learned to use. Seeing the children's faces confirmed Carly's suspicions. Vian's new friends were indeed the children of the Signers. The reporter sighed. None of the kids knew about their legacy as the children of Neo Domino City's saviors. Not even Vian knew what she had done despite her role being crucial several times. It was their choice. The burden that was theirs as Signers would be kept away from their children.

And yet, here was the boy with a pair of golden wings. They had appeared at ten, triggering a force-field that had allowed Vian to survive one of the deadliest car crashes ever seen in Neo Domino City. Vian was a Signer, but he didn't serve the Crimson Dragon. Why? It was a mystery not even Hui could solve despite being a War God. In any case, it was more reasons for Carly to keep quiet about the Signers. As a Signer himself, the boy had his share of troubles. She prayed the god within her she'd have the strength to help him.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright. For those who braved the spoilers, you now know the pairings occuring during Crimson Destiny and their outcomes. Hope you have no regret. As for Vian, I'm not gonna say anything and there's a reason for that so don't ask me. I'm not going to answer. That apart, how do you like the children of our dear Signers? Or the duels, for that matter. Vian's ambiguous portayal is actually a plot point and we'll learn more about him as the story goes. Same goes for anything regarding Carly, from why she's single to the identity of "Hui the War God".<strong>

**Now, about Vian's cards (Brass Cub and Golden Lion have been approved by YGO card maker):**

**Sanctuary Cat (2*; 500/300; Beast/Effect): when this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can special summon 1 LIGHT Tuner monster from your Deck, in face-up Defense Position.**

**Brass Cub (2*: 500/500; Beast/Tuner): when this card is successfully normal summoned, you can recall one Level 4 or lower LIGHT monster from your Graveyard to your side of the field.**

**Solar Warrior (4*; 1000/700: Warrior/Tuner): if this monster is used as Synchro material for a LIGHT Synchro monster, this monster gains 500 ATK and 250 DEF.**

**Golden Lion (6*; 2000/1700; Beast/Synchro/Effect): 1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monster. When this monster is sent to the Graveyard, you gain 500 Life Points and the Synchro materials return on your side of the field.**

**Solar Prince (8*; 2500/1500; Warrior/Synchro/Effect): 1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monster. Once per turn, when this monster destroys a monster in Attack Position during the Battle Phase, the destroyed monster is banished instead.**

**Golden Dragon of the Sun (8*; 3000/2500; Dragon/Synchro/Effect): 1 LIGHT Tuner monster + 1 or more non-Tuner monster. If there is at least one LIGHT monster under your control, this card can attack as many times as there are DARK monsters on the opponent's side of the field.**

**Split Second (Quick Play): target monster you control can attack twice this turn.**

**Break of Day and Moment of Heroism were used in "Crimson Destiny" by Alan. And indeed, these are** _his_ **cards. Now, question: how did Vian get them!?**


End file.
